As cybersecurity has become a global issue of utmost significance, some major Twitter commentators have risen to the challenge of following the raging storm. The threats are huge and very real, and they are not just a concern for nations and big organisations, we are all individual targets that cyber adversaries wish to compromise. CBR has compiled a list of some of the best cybersecurity Twitter accounts.
Every data breach and piece of malware that disrupts the functions of a business, or threatens the security of customer records stands testament to the vital need for an improved level of awareness globally. This is what we have the great cybersecurity voices of Twitter to thank for, be it through humour, determination, or wisdom, they are dragging our cyber competence up to scratch.
@CyberTaters
Planted firmly at the top of our list of the best cybersecurity Twitter accounts is also one of our very favourites, CyberTaters, an impressive presence that has grown a bumper crop of 11.7k followers.
With ceaseless online activity since the day CyberTaters sprouted into the Twitter world in June 2015, the account has unleashed 107,000 tweets.
As you might have guessed from the account name, and from the not so subtle puns that this section has so far been laced with, the account is potato themed. Best of all perhaps is the profile picture of a potato rigged up with wires, bolts and a piercing red light.
This theme is really not just used for show; the account actually replaces the word ‘cyber’ with the word ‘potato’, just as an added stamp of the prolific account’s identity.
All the fun aside, like the other great cybersecurity Twitter accounts on our list, this one picks the most critical and relevant pieces of news regarding cyber matters, and leaves no stone unturned in pursuing a global presentation of the world’s cyber activity.
If you are in pursuit of gaining the vital survival knowledge that is awareness of cyber security issues, you will receive a 360 degree, 24/7 approach from CyberTaters.
@briankrebs
Brian Krebs is a behemoth in the cybersecurity world, responsible for the downfall of some villainous cyber adversaries, accumulating impressive stories along the way. Subsequently he also has one of the most well followed cybersecurity Twitter accounts.
Mr Krebs is an independent investigative journalist who writes on cybercrime. He is also an accomplished author, having written the New York Times bestseller, ‘Spam Nation’.
He is extremely well known for pursuing profit-seeking cybercriminals, having had his interest peaked following his own experience at the receiving end of a cyberattack in 2001. He runs a highly popular and informative daily blog called KrebsOnSecurity.com.
His pursuit of cybercriminals has brought his name to their attention, and he was one of the first journalists to be ‘swatted’; this entails falsifying information to the emergency services, resulting in an elite team being sent to an address. This experience has not deterred the formidable man.
Although now leading an independent charge against the threat actors, he spent 14 years between 1995 and 2009 writing for The Washington Post.
When browsing his Twitter account, the massive reputation he carries is clear as 179,000 Twitter users are following his thoughts. This further emphasises his lofty position in the space, and also the high quality of insight he brings to the social media platform.
@e_kaspersky
The topic of cybersecurity cannot be uttered without the mention of perhaps the most famous figure in the industry, Eugene Kaspersky. He also happens to have an excellent Twitter account.
Eugene Kaspersky speaks from a prime vantage point in the industry, as he is the Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab.
He is educated in cryptography, and it is this that led him to understand encrypted viruses, and subsequently how to build a tool to defend against the threats they pose.
Both he himself and his company have received illustrious awards for achievements in the cyber landscape. Perhaps a crowning award among many came when he was voted the World’s Most Powerful Security Exec by SYS-CON Media in 2011.
His mighty Twitter account has 161,000 followers, after having produced 6,060 expert level tweets since the account was started in May 2011. Mr Kaspersky casts his knowledge across all areas of cyber security on Twitter, from familiar anti-virus, to nation-state level activity.
@Mikko
Mikko Hypponen stands with the greatest minds in cybersecurity, and with information security more broadly. Originally from Finland, Mr Hypponen is such an influential figure in this area that he in fact has an IoT security law named after him: the Hypponen Law.
Like Eugene Kaspersky, Mr Hypponen is also an executive, he is the Chief Research Officer at F-Secure, a Finish cybersecurity and privacy company. The company has a presence in over 100 countries.
He has also worked at the sharp end of cybersecurity when assisting law enforcement in the US, Europe and Asia on cybercrime cases. His successes in this area include the take down of the notorious Sobig.F botnet.
Another factor that makes him an excellent voice on Twitter is his experience as an educator on these matters. He has been a keynote speak and presenter at some of the largest cyber events globally, including Black Hat, DEF CON, and RSA.
Mr Hypponen’s Twitter activity has been very extensive, having produced 36.9k tweets since March 2009, in which time he has gained a colossal following of 152,000.
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@gcluley
Graham Cluley is an essential component for a list such as this, as he is included in the InfoSecurity Europe Hall of Fame, and he is also a well followed and energetic user of Twitter.
Mr Cluley is a British, award-winning security blogger that tailors many of his tweets towards breaches; a very current and prominent problem in the cyber threat landscape.
His career began at the very core fundamental layer of software, as a programmer at the firm S&S international. Having started in this position, Mr Cluley has seen the industry from all angles. He has also been a public speaker, giving further substantiation to the quality of the opinion he shares.
Cluley has been appreciated for his mastery of Twitter previously, being named Twitter user of the year in 2009 and 2010. He has been active on the platform since 2008, making him the longest user of all of the cybersecurity twitter accounts on our list. In this time he has amassed 58.8k followers, and produced 23.8k tweets to this large and growing audience.
